A framework for the use of M-Commerce by brick-and-mortar retail stores in Angola

Abstract

Brick-and-mortar retailers are physical structures for retail businesses, mostly recognised by the international community. They represent a mainstream solution to consumers’ demands, changing behaviour, poverty, government revenue, and special interest. However, the rapid increase in the use of mobile commerce in recent years in developing countries may have great potential to support brick-and-mortar retailers. Conventional retailers expect mobile commerce to enable them to respond to continuous uncertainty and unpredictable changes in a dynamic business environment, accommodate new consumer experiences, boost sales of products/services and achieve competitive advantage. Considering the above, the lack of a dependable framework for using mobile commerce to manage brick-and-mortar retailer stakeholders' priorities continues to be a concern for conventional business leaders, who continue to struggle to incorporate productivity-enhancing technologies into their businesses. Thus, to address this problem, this study aims to explore the use of a framework for mobile commerce in brick-and-mortar retailers. The main objective is to investigate the underlying factors that are requisite for the use of a framework for mobile commerce in brick-and-mortar retailers. Thus, the study integrated the Technology-Organisation-Environment framework and the Task-Technology Fit model. This integration led to the extension of the Technology-Organisation-Environment framework and the Task-Technology Fit model to a conceptual framework founded on three major contexts, namely 1) mobile commerce technological context, 2) retailer organisational context and 3) retailer environmental context, for a full exploration of the adoption and use of mobile commerce by brick-and-mortar retailers. The study combined both the positivist and interpretive paradigms and followed a cross-sectional study design. Both the structured questionnaire and the semi-structured interview as survey instruments were considered appropriate for the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data from brick-and-mortar business managers/owners and mobile commerce business personnel, using the area or cluster sampling approach from the probability sampling strategy. Descriptive analysis, Structural Equation Modeling analysis and content analysis were performed. Thus, triangulation between qualitative data and quantitative data was used to ensure concurrent validity. The test and analysis of the conceptual framework revealed that the task characteristics, Top Management Support, Technology Competence and Readiness for Mobile Distribution Systems constructs associated with retailer organisational context, lend significant support to the use of m-commerce. The results further show that the functionalities of m-commerce systems, Relative advantage and Data Security constructs associated with the m-commerce technological context also significantly support the use of m-commerce. Other variables are associated with the external factors, which are financial support, managerial support and technical support that retailers expect from the support agencies. The general framework proposed by the study provides a comprehensive structural design within the alignment of brick-and-mortar retailer operations and mobile commerce practices. It may help conventional businesses to understand and identify the requisite factors in the adoption and use of m-commerce and assist business supporters in the process of technological innovation transfer. Furthermore, the proposed general framework offers sufficient theoretical grounds for explaining and evaluating the use of m-commerce in other contexts. General recommendations and suggestions for further research are made.